Published online by Cambridge University Press: 17 March 2011
The physical and electrical properties as well as thermal stability ofreactively sputtered titanium nitride (TiN) film serving as a diffusionbarrier was studied for silver (Ag) metallization. The thermal stability ofAg/TiN metallizations on Si with 12-nm-thick TiN barriers, as-deposited andafter annealing at 300-650°C in N2/H2 for 30 min, wasinvestigated with sheet resistance measurement, X-ray diffraction, focusedion beam-scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy and X-rayphotoelectron spectroscopy. According to electrical measurement no change ofsheet resistance was found after annealing at 600°C, but an abrupt riseappeared at 650°C annealing. There are two causes by which the Ag/TiN/Sistructure became degraded. One is agglomeration of the silver layer, and theother is oxidation and diffusion which are also associated problems duringthermal annealing.